In honor and love for all of those who died.

September 11th, 2001 February 26th, 1993

 

 

Two sweeping arcs of pink granite will rise up from the footprints of the two towers (1) towards a meeting point 41 feet above the floor of the memorial plane. The 41-foot tall rectangular opening between them will proportionally mirror the space between the two towers.These arcs represent the energy and spirit of all of those who died, those who provided succor during the disaster, and the dynamism of the World Trade Center buildings. Visitors will be able to walk up the gently sloping planes of the arcs towards the convergance point of the two arcs, which reach toward each other, coming to within 4 feet, but do not touch.

 

 

 

It is through this passage that visitors to the memorial will pass in order to see the interior concave walls of the intersecting arcs. On these walls will be a sweeping mosaic containing images of all of the 3,022 known victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and the downed jetliner in Pennsylvania. The images will be represented in separate mosaic insets on a background pattern covering the entire face of either wall (4).

 

 

Each known victim will be represented by a 9 x 11 inch mosaic likeness. Mosaic stone or stone for the arcs would be sought from all of the 92 countries from which victims originated.The images will be in rows on the insides of the two concave walls, forming a band of mosaic images approximately 10 feet tall for a length of approximately 300 feet. Due to the angle of the walls, the highest image will be no more than 15 feet above ground level. Working with a 9 x 11 inch photograph, each portrait will be designed by reducing the resolution to the degree that a pixel equals a 1/2-inch mosaic square. Seen from a distance, these images appear photographic, due to the blurring of distance. As one gets closer to the images, they fragment into an abstract pattern. The mosaic portraits will be separated by a border into which the victims' names will be embossed, to acknowledge their final resting place.

For many, this is their burial ground (3). For the viewer, the overall effect will be as if she is standing in a crowd in an amphitheater of humanity. The footprints of the Twin Towers wil be delineated by differently colored stone set into the granite arcs. There will be a glass chapel (2) for the survivors and the families of the victims, that will reflect the outside of the arc and corner of the South Tower, and will reach up towards the projecting cultural museum. The waterfall will be visible through the building. There will be a wall of thanks for those who helped during the disaster located in the Northwest corner outside arc (6). Low-growing trees such as flowering crab-apple, will be planted in a raised bed in the plaza area on the West side of the memorial. This will provide shade and an area for quiet contemplation (5).

It is my hope that this memorial will be a place for loved ones of all of the victims to contemplate and to be with their memories, a place of reverence and hope towards a more generous future. We are honored to submit this proposal as a contribution to the healing of victims' loved ones, the community of New York City, and the world's spiritual health.

Submitted by Tamsie Ringler and Margaret Kuhn

 

World Trade Center Memorial Website